when Gladiator wanted to meet LOTR

Oh! its wearisome. People made two good movies: LOTR aka lord of the rings and then Gladiator-vice versa etc.
Now, some others, you know- the more creative of the lot...wanted to make a third.So, they obviously and most brilliantly decided to mix the two.Viola...you get 'the last legion. With Ben Kingsley, a small unknown kid, Colin Firth of the Pride and Prejudice and Shakespeare in love fame, Ms.Aishwarya Rai Bachan of the Bride and Prejudice (or shall we say'Ludhiana se LA balle balle) Infamy come together to bring us a pathetic movie that could have been brought into existence only by Merlin's magic. It requires talent to make such distilled nonsense.

The movie is essentially the search for Ceaser's sword ( and my toothbrush) which is supposed to hold in it unimaginable power (not using my toothbrush can also have devastating affects). So the last 'emperor' of the western roman empire- Augustus (or augustulus as history knows it)- this young brat who already knows valour and oratory and all those fancy things - finds the sword. But as he no longer has an empire...sets out in the company of Ms. Rai ( a paid bodyguard from Byzantine empire), Mr.Firth( an idealistic commander of a non-existent army), Mr.Kingsley ( Merrrline) all set out to britannica to find legion of roman soldiers who went missing. Along the way, we see signs of roman heritage- you know the same things we see today- acqueducts, statues etc. Both Kingsely's role, the quest for the sword and the broken statues reek of LOTR.

Anyway, they reach england, fight battle, the last legion which doesnt want to fight, finally fights, turns turtle (you know, the great roman tactic) and then, the young king, who was actually an emperor, takes the name of pendragon (son of dragon) and throws the sword which was so carefully guarded into a stone, where the sword gets stuck....as we continue watching this rainy saturday afternoon movie, there is a young boy being tutored by Mr.Merlin aka kingsley(who thought his role of a warrior shaman was mysterious and interesting) named...............yes, you guessed right- Arthur...we have king Arthur. It was a very emotional moment for me.Even, Rai has her bollywood moment and everyone is happy.

I hope they dont make a prequel( and name it the 'second last legion') or make a sequel (and call it the return of the last legion).And, Ms.Rai, you werent a great bodyguard.Punjabi bridal roles are just about good for you.


Declaration: I am not Anti-bollywoodist, sexist or exorcist.

Cinema Watch: Mr.Smith goes to Washington

Not so long ago, Senator Thomas Jefferson Johnson (Eddie Murphy) played the role of a conscientious conman senator in the movie ' Distinguished gentleman'. Low on logic , high on slap stick , this movie- Dummies guide to lobbying and washington- made an almost forgettable ninety minute entertainer (for those who could bear Mr.Murphy).
Quite a long time ago, another movie was made, with a similar premise....with no slap stick and with probably James Stewart's finest silver screen performances. This was 'Mr.Smith goes to Washington'. A scout master who quotes Lincoln and reads the constitution, expected to be a simpleton and not to nose into a dam being built for purposes of graft, Mr.Jefferson Smith (note the similarity) is appointed by a corrupt governor to the american senate.

Mr.Smith attempts to build a scout camp at the same place as the dam leading to a tiff with the powerful forces that control the political machine. When these machines aim to throw him out of the senate on charges of graft, the movie goes into over drive.Smith, aided by a previously cynical aid ( the beauty in the movie) sets off on oratory to convince people of his innocence and the identity of the machine corrupting washington. Carrying out a fillibuster, Smith talks for almost twenty four hours but is almost forced to admit defeat by 'Taylor-made' (Taylor being the head of the political machine) public opinion. However, he goes upto one of Taylor's men who was once a principled man and appeals to his better judgement in a moving speech....forcing him to accept that Smith was right. A lasting image from the movie is the smiling speaker of the american senate who watches first with amusement and then with happiness as he sees Smith's performance . ( i think the speaker is a representation of the good that exists in every establishment however corrupt)

The movie deals with a number of themes including democracy, the freedom of the press, the purity of idealists, the immortality of hope, the attraction of innocence and the power of one. The movie is one of those where the most special effect is the acting of the protagonist, a movie which leaves you happy and inspired.